Salary : $109,428.80 - $130,936.00 Annually
Location : County Administration - 1195 Third Street, Napa, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number:Department: Planning, Building & Environmental Services
Opening Date: 09/04/2026
Closing Date: 10/5/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
The PositionThe Department of Planning, Building, & Environmental Services (PBES) serves our community by enforcing a fair, efficient, and open process that balances the diverse needs of agriculture, the economy, health and safety, and the environment. As a member of PBES you will work alongside employees from the following PBES Divisions: Building, Code Enforcement, Engineering, Environmental Health, Natural Resources, Parks, Planning, and Staff Services. .
About the PositionThe Senior Environmental Health Specialist position under general direction, performs the more complex and specialized work in the regulation and enforcement of environmental health and safety laws, rules and regulations; plans and implements specialized programs, performs difficult and highly technical work in areas requiring specialized training or knowledge, may provide supervision to subordinate staff, performs other duties as required. This is the advanced journeyman level class in the Environmental Health Specialist series.
The position will be a Senior for the Wells, and Onsite Wastewater (WOW) team. WOW is responsible for implementing construction, destruction, and boring permits; the review and approval of onsite wastewater systems, including their routine inspection, construction, and demolition. Napa County implements the winery general order and is overseen by two regional water quality control boards (Central and San Francisco).
We are seeking a seasoned candidate who is passionate about environmental health and its charge to protect public health. A desirable candidate is well versed in well and septic program components and how to implement the requirements while maintaining professionalism in the delivery of Napa County's mission statement.
This recruitment is being conducted to fill one full-time vacancy in the Planning, Building & Environmental Services, Environmental Services Department. The list established by this recruitment may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, limited term, and extra help vacancies for up to one year.
Education and Experience:To qualify for this classification, an individual must possess any combination of experience and education that would likely produce the required knowledge and abilities. A desirable combination is:
Education: Equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in the biological or physical sciences.
Experience: Two years of increasingly responsible experience in the field of environmental health regulation and enforcement. (Possession of a master's degree in Public Health, Environmental Health or other basic sciences may be substituted for one year of the required experience.)
License or Certificate: *- Possession of valid certificate as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist issued by the California Department of Public Health.
- Possession of a valid Class C California Driver's license.
*Any license, certification, or registration required for this position shall be maintained (i.e. active and in good standing) at all times during employment with Napa County. For continued employment with Napa County, you must maintain such license, certification, or registration to meet the minimum qualifications of this position.
The Recruitment ProcessOnline Application Deadline
Monday October 5, 2026, at 5:00 pm (PST)
Supplemental Question Scoring
Tentatively scheduled for the week of October 12, 2026
Supplemental questions will be scored by the subject matter experts. Only the most qualified applicants from scoring the supplemental questions will be invited for an Oral Panel Interview.
Oral Panel Interview
Tentatively scheduled for the week of October 19, 2026
Only the most qualified candidates from the Oral Panel Interview will be placed on the eligibility list and may be considered to fill positions for up to one year.
The Human Resources Department reserves the right to change the recruitment process at any time.
Example of DutiesBenefitsDisaster Services WorkersNapa County employees automatically become Disaster Service Workers. This means that when Napa County experience emergencies (earthquakes, wildfire, power outage, etc.) you may be asked to pivot from your regular duties to provide critical services to those affected by the emergency (Cal. Gov. Code 3101.)
01
Instructions for Supplemental Application Questions. The following questions comprise one of the steps in the selection process for this position and are intended to assist you in presenting your qualifications. Only the information you provide in your answers to these questions will be evaluated and scored to determine the best qualified candidates to continue in the selection process for this position. Please be complete and specific in answering the questions as your score will be based on this information. Applications submitted without responses to the supplemental questions will not be evaluated.
Although your experience and education should relate back to your application, your application and or resume will not be reviewed when scoring the supplemental questions. Therefore, please be as detailed as possible in your responses to the supplemental questions. I have read and understand the instructions presented above.
02
This position requires a current and valid certificate of Registration as an Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) issued by the State of California, Department of Public Health. Applicants who do not possess this will not be considered further. Do you have a current and valid REHS?
03
If you answered yes to the question above, please provide us with your REHS number for verification. If you do not have a REHS number, please indicate N/A.
04
The Well and Onsite Wastewater (WOW) Program plays a critical role in determining whether development proposals in Napa County's unincorporated areas can proceed. Describe what you believe this requires from a Senior Environmental Health Specialist and how to balance any regulatory requirements with applicant expectations. Give an example.
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Provide an example of a program, process, or operational issue that you were responsible for improving. Describe the situation, your role in identifying and implementing changes, the stakeholders involved, and the impact of those changes.
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Describe a specific situation in which you provided technical expertise, mentoring, or guidance on an environmental health issue to less experienced staff, colleagues from another program or division, or members of the public. What was the issue, what actions did you take, how did you communicate your guidance, and what was the outcome?
Required Question
